Chip and Joanna Gaines Admit Ending ‘Fixer Upper’ on HGTV ‘Wasn’t an Easy Decision’

Chip and Joanna Gaines are opening up about the difficult decision to end their popular HGTV home series Fixer Upper. The couple had parted ways with the series after five seasons, choosing instead to focus on their business and growing family, though stepping away from the acclaimed series, one of the most popular shows on the small screen, “wasn’t an easy decision.”

“We wrestled with some counselors, for lack of a better term, that sort of helped us articulate, ‘Do we want to do this or not?’” Chip told Sunday TODAY‘s Willie Geist in a recent interview. “And I would say the outstanding majority of those people said, ‘When you turn that television show off, all of this other stuff will come crumbling down.’”

The “other stuff” Chip was referring to included the couple’s blog, magazine, housewares, books, and marketplace, all of which were fueled by the success of the HGTV series, though the end of Fixer Upper only sparked further interest in their other endeavors.

“For that ironic and complete opposite reality to have occurred is a pretty powerful testimony to just be yourself, man,” Chip said.

After airing on the network for five seasons from 2014-2017, the couple announced in September of 2017 that they had made the difficult decision to leave Fixer Upper following the debut of its fifth season.

“It is with both sadness and expectation that we share the news that season five of Fixer Upper will be our last,” they wrote in part. “While we are confident that this is the right choice for us, it has for sure not been an easy one to come to terms with. Our family has grown up alongside yours, and we have felt you rooting us on from the other side of the screen. How bittersweet to say goodbye to the very thing that introduced us all in the first place.”

Shortly after, the Gaines’ announced their plans to launch their own network, Magnolia TV Network, which would replace Discovery’s DIY network in the summer of 2020 and feature shows diving into the lifestyle, wellness and design elements that have made millions fall in love with the family.

In October of this year, the first original to air on the network, Home on the Road, was announced. The series will follow Johnnyswim couple Abner Ramirez and Amanda Sudano Ramirez as they tour with the rest of their band as well as son Joaquin, 4, and daughter Luna, 1.

Along with their new venture into TV, the couple also operate their Magnolia Table restaurant, the Magnolia Market at the Silos property, as well as the original Magnolia storefront, along with several other business ventures.